1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to wine cellars and, more particularly, to a system to maintain the environment of a wine storage area.
When wine is placed in barrels or bottles for storage and/or fermentation it is important to control the temperature and humidity of the environment by maintaining both temperature and humidity within a predetermined range.
An ideal range for relative humidity is from 74% to 80%. If the humidity is less, evaporation loss of the wine that is stored in the barrels increases and can become excessive and costly. It is reported, for example, that wine loss due to evaporation can typically approach a volume of 8%. If this amount could be halved, for example to 4% loss due to evaporation, many millions of dollars would be saved each year (i.e., the value of the saved wine).
Conversely, an excessively high level of humidity can cause the labels that are on wine bottles (also used in storage) to come off and can also contribute to the unwanted formation of mold and mildew as well as bacterial formation.
An ideal range for temperature is from 52 to 66 degrees, Fahrenheit. Other temperatures do not promote optimum fermentation over time.
People have learned how to adapt basement areas into wine cellars. Still, to maintain the temperature at a desirable level in a wine cellar can be difficult and costly as such maintenance relies upon energy intensive methods of heating, humidifying, dehumidifying, and air conditioning the wine cellar.
Also, there are limited options for cellars. The water table cannot be too high and the size of the cellar is often limited to the size of the structure that rests above it.
Previous attempts to increase humidity levels rely upon spray emitters but the use of these types of devices tend to contribute to the formation of rot of the wood in the building or the rusting of the structure. Spray emitters also tend to increase the likelihood and severity of any mold or mildew problem.
The use of free standing above ground structures is generally not considered practical for wine cellars because the temperature and humidity cannot be controlled without great energy consumption and therefore, great cost.
The use of caves, both natural and man-made, while offering some promise have been shown to have significant problems relating to the creation of an excessively damp environment. In particular, water intrusion into caves is a problem. Even a small amount of water intrusion can form puddles. The puddles stagnate for a long period of time as the water does not soon evaporate. This promotes the growth of bacteria and can lead to a hazardous or toxic environment for humans to enter. Excessive moisture also promotes the growth of mold, which is also undesirable and even hazardous. To solve this problem, wineries may open access doors to caves, thereby losing the ability to economically maintain the temperature and humidity level in the environment. As such, caves have not demonstrated the energy savings that were anticipated to occur.
It is desirable to economically control the environment in either an above ground structure or a below ground structure, such as a cave, so that wine may be placed for fermentation and storage therein. It is also desirable to be able to retrofit such a system into a pre-existing type of structure (i.e., any above or below ground structures).
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a wine storage environmental control system that is useful in economically controlling the environment.
Clearly, such a system would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wine cellars and caves are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, may have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used in an above-ground structure.
It is also an important object of the invention to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used in a below-ground structure.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used in a cave.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that uses geothermal energy to regulate the temperature and humidity in the environment.
Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be retrofitted to an existing structure.
Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that is economical to operate.
Still yet another important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that is reliable to operate.
A first further important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be scaled to work with any size structure (i.e., any volume of space).
A second further important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used to heat an environment where wine is stored.
A third further important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used to cool an environment where wine is stored.
A fourth further important object of the invention is to provide a wine storage environmental control system that can be used to affect the relative humidity level of an environment where wine is stored.
Briefly, a wine storage environmental control system that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has a network of conduit buried in a sand layer. An intake is provided on a north side and allowed to vent into the environment proximate a quantity of barrels. A first thermostat is located above the highest barrel (or bottle) and is set to turn a venting exhaust fan on if the temperature exceeds a predetermined maximum, typically 64 degrees. Where the exhaust fan is on, air inside of the structure is exhausted to the outside. This creates a partial vacuum within the structure which tends to draw outside air in through the conduit where the air is cooled (typically in the summer) and warmed (typically in the winter) and which tends to raise the moisture content of the air as it traverses the network of conduit, thereby increasing the relative humidity of the outside air to a desired level prior to exiting as a conditioned air from the conduit into the structure. When a predetermined minimum temperature is attained, the venting exhaust fan is turned off by the first thermostat. A second thermostat is located approximately forty-two inches above the level of the floor. When the temperature drops below a predetermined minimum, for example 55 degrees (i.e., when the ambient air in the structure becomes too cool), the second thermostat turns the exhaust fan on to again draw outside air in through the conduits where it is warmed and exhausted as the conditioned air into the structure. When a predetermined maximum temperature is attained, the exhaust fan is turned off by the second thermostat. Accordingly, the temperature and humidity are maintained within a predetermined range year-round and at a very low energy cost.